


Awaiâulu ke aloha

by asteriae



Series: He ma`i pi`i ali`i ke aloha [2]
Category: Moana (2016)
Genre: Demigods, Destiny, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Immortality, References to Polynesian Religion & Lore, Romance, hooked wayfinder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-28
Updated: 2018-04-28
Packaged: 2019-04-23 12:30:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14332515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asteriae/pseuds/asteriae
Summary: ‘Worst case scenario- Hina never comes back’ he said seriously, ‘Would you prefer to spend my mortal lifetime waiting for her while married to me or sleeping alone every night?’.Moana ignored him.Moana and Maui disagree about how to go on now their roles are reversed.





	Awaiâulu ke aloha

Maui knew that Hina’s definition of ‘soon’ would be different to Moana’s. He hadn’t anticipated how long it would seem to _him_ too now- three months as a mortal and he was _bored_. 

Not of being mortal, not of Moana or even the island. 

He was bored of waiting for Hina to return and fix their slight mortality conundrum. Because for the time being it was like they were just- on hold. 

Moana was still under pressure to be married by the elders of the island, and they were starting to have pointed conversations with Maui about why, exactly, that hadn’t happened yet. 

The truth was Maui would have married her in a second. Even if Hina never returned, and he would die one day, he didn’t care. He would give her children and she would always have their descendants to remember him by, even if she couldn’t have him. 

Moana was the one who was stalling- and at first, he couldn’t figure out why. 

‘Curly this is all we’ve wanted for _months_!’ he said to her one afternoon, ‘I’d marry you today if I could’. 

She smiled at him, the soft and affectionate smile that she gave him whenever she was going to say something he wouldn’t like. ‘We can’t’. 

He rolled his eyes at her, ‘Worst case scenario- Hina never comes back’ he said seriously, ‘Would you prefer to spend my mortal lifetime waiting for her while married to me or sleeping alone every night?’. 

Moana ignored him. 

Maui had no idea why she was resisting; as far as he could see there wasn’t a single downside to them being married sooner rather than later, but Moana wouldn’t budge. 

So every night he kissed her while a chaperone pointedly looked away, and went to bed alone. 

After three months, one week and two days, he couldn’t take it anymore. When the village was finally quiet and everyone was asleep, he slipped from his bed and transformed himself into a small bird. 

He landed at the window of Moana’s bedroom, the coverings drawn back to let the night air in. She was still awake, several candles flickering and illuminating the piles of paper she had spread across her bed. He watched her for a moment, as she threw down a sheet covered in numbers and rubbed her eyes with the heel of her hands. 

The candlelight flickered across her skin as she stretched, reaching up to knot her hair on the top of her head. 

She stood and began stacking the papers on a table as she prepared to go to sleep. It wasn’t until she had started to untie the fabric that held her top together that Maui panicked, and transformed back into himself. 

He wasn’t entirely sure where she got the knife from, she certainly didn’t have many places upon her person where she could _hide_ it, but one minute he was adjusting to having arms again and the next minute she was on top of him holding a knife to his throat. 

‘Maui?’ she asked, her body relaxing even as her brow furrowed and her eyes squinted angrily, ‘What in Te Fiti’s name are you doing?’ 

‘I just wanted to spend some time with you alone’ he said quickly, wheezing slightly at the sudden pressure on his chest, ‘I didn’t mean to scare you Mo- I’m sorry’. 

She pulled away from him, tucking the knife into the waistband of her lava lava and reaching out a hand to pull him to his feet. 

He winced, his body aching both from the transformation and being tackled. It was so infuriating that his body was now so fragile. That his girlfriend, who probably weighed half of what he did, could knock him over and wind him so completely. 

‘Did anyone see you?’ she asked, not letting go of his hand. He pointedly kept his eyes on her face, rather than the stretch of skin now revealed to him by her loosened clothing. 

He held his free hand over his heart, ‘You think I would be so careless?’

She smirked, letting go of his hand and smacking his shoulder. 

‘How long were you sitting at the window?’ she asked, reddening slightly as she tied her clothes back into decency. 

He tried to school his face into an innocent expression, ‘Just a few minutes’. 

She looked up at him, her expression torn, ‘We’re not supposed to-’.

He held his hands up in surrender, ‘No one will know- I’ll leave if you want me to’. 

‘No!’ she said quickly, pulling him to sit next to her on the bed ‘I don’t want you to go’. 

He settled back against the bed, drawing her into his arms like he’d longed to do for months. They sat for a while in silence, Moana curled against his side while he pressed kisses against the top of her head and sighed happily. 

‘We could have this every night-’ he began, kicking himself as she immediately pulled away. 

‘We _can’t_ ’ Moana said desperately, her eyes pleading with him, ‘I’m immortal and you’re not- we can’t get married unless…’

She trailed off and his heart sunk. 

‘Unless what, Mo?’ 

She stared down at her hands, refusing to meet his eye. 

‘I’d rather live one mortal life as your husband than a million years as a demigod without you’ he said honestly, covering her hands with his.

‘I can’t-’ she started, her voice cracking, ‘I can’t imagine a future without you’. 

‘But what if we were married?’ he said, ‘What if we had children who you could remember me by?’ 

She looked up at him finally, ‘Would you have married me if it was the other way round?’ she asked, a challenge in her voice. 

He immediately opened his mouth to argue that _yes_ , of _course_ he would have- but shut it again. 

Because when the tables had been turned he’d run away. 

‘That was different’ he said eventually, ‘the people here didn’t believe in me, I couldn’t have given you children, and the Gods still had work for me to do’.

He could tell she was going to argue, so he cheated, and kissed her hard before she could start. 

Without a chaperone lurking over their shoulders, the kiss was different from any they’d shared previously. Maui became suddenly very aware that they were actually alone for the first time since he’d told her he loved her all those months ago. 

Alone, and sitting on her bed. 

Her hands were tangled in his hair and his were spanning her waist before he finally gathered the presence of mind to stop. For a moment they were both just breathing hard, not pulling away entirely or even moving their hands from where they’d ended up. 

‘I love you’ she whispered, and he closed his eyes, pressing his forehead against hers.

‘So marry me’ he implored, ‘You’ll mourn me when I die the same if we were married or if we weren’t’. 

She didn’t answer; kissing him again like it was the last thing she’d ever get to do. 

He lost himself in the kiss, forgetting about everything and everyone outside of her room, holding her tightly until only she felt real, and the candles spluttered out one by one, until they were plunged into darkness.

When the sun rose, he drifted into consciousness with her legs tangled around his, and her hair tickling his nose. 

And he’d never felt more at peace. 

***  
They gave up all pretence of sleeping apart after only a week.

Turning into a bird every night to sneak into her room was exhausting him, and eventually, Moana just pulled him into her house one evening, calling a cheery goodnight to her chaperone. 

A few of the village elders tutted and gossiped and glared at Maui over the fire in the evenings, whispering about Hoa kîhei pili, but Moana found it very easy to ignore, so he figured he should too. 

After all, they wouldn’t have been so prudish about her taking a lover had she been a man; and she’d been blessed by a Goddess, so they could take their disapproval and _shove it up_ -

He cut that thought of with a jerk of a knife through the fruit he was preparing. 

It had been six months since Maui had become mortal, and despite the fact they were living together, she still hadn’t married him. Maui knew her parents disapproved, and thought she should be leading by a better example, but nothing anyone said would change her mind.

Late at night they lay twined together in her bed and she whispered that she loved him, that she knew that marriage was more symbolic than anything else, but it was something she’d been anticipating her entire life. She pressed kisses along his collarbone and told him that to marry him while knowing they might only get a short time together, seemed unfair and almost pointless. 

If they were going to do it, she murmured as she lay atop him, it was going to be for forever. 

He finished preparing their breakfast and tucked it into a basket. Moana was going to meet him down on the beach to eat together before their duties kept them apart all day. She’d been up before the sun had even risen, whispering that she’d meet him at their favourite sheltered cove in an hour. 

He ambled down to the waterfront in no particular rush - the sun was still low in the sky and the birds weren’t even fully awake yet. 

He was thinking of nothing in particular, his mind wandering from what they might cook for dinner to who he would ask to help him with canoe repairs that day, when the sound of laughter pulled him from his thoughts. 

Several feet away, in the sheltered cove where Moana was waiting, stood Hina. The goddess was laughing so hard that tears were leaking from her eyes- an expression so human that Maui froze, staring at her open mouthed. 

Maui recovered from his shock quickly and jogged over to them, arriving at Moana’s side and immediately taking her hand. This seemed to amuse Hina all the more, and she doubled over, holding her stomach as she laughed heartily.

‘I was gone five minutes!’ Hina exclaimed eventually, waving her hands between them, ‘Could you not have held off?’ 

Neither Moana or Maui responded, still staring dumbfounded at the goddess. 

‘It’s been, what?’ Hina asked, ‘A week? This has got to be a record’. 

Moana blinked slowly, ‘You’ve been gone six _months_ ’.

‘Ah’ she replied softly, ‘Sorry’ 

‘I didn’t think you were ever coming back’ Maui admitted at last, ‘I think I’d gotten used to the idea of dying’. 

‘So you decided to make the most of your mortality?’ Hina said with a wicked smirk, ‘I can see that’. 

‘What do you mean?’ Maui asked, his brow furrowed, ‘We haven’t even gotten married- we were just… Waiting for you’. 

Hina’s smile faded, ‘You don’t know yet’. 

Maui turned to Moana, baffled, but her mouth was hanging open, her hand limp in his. 

‘Oh’ she said, looking slightly wonderstruck. 

‘Oh _what_?’ Maui says looking between them as the two women exchanged a knowing look, ‘What _oh_?’ 

‘I’ll tell you later’ Moana said, looking slightly dazed and refusing to meet his eye. 

Hina just smiled at him and took the picnic basket from his hands. She spread the blanket out over the sand and helped herself to a few pieces of fruit, gesturing to them to sit and join her. 

Maui dropped to the blanket without hesitation, taking the fruit Hina offered and eating his share happily. 

Moana sat next to him slowly, her eyes still fixed on Hina. 

‘I didn’t mean to stay away so long’ Hina began, ‘For that, I apologise’. 

‘It’s ok’ Moana said quickly, ‘We know you have more important things to handle than us-’ 

Maui made an unhappy sound that made it obvious he disagreed, but his mouth was too full of mango to argue. 

‘I’ve come to offer you a choice-’ Hina said, and Maui swallowed quickly.

‘We get a choice?’ 

The goddess glared at him for interrupting, so he held his hands up in apology and took another bite. 

‘I can restore Maui’s immortality, or I can make Moana mortal’ Hina says simply, looking between them.

Maui hesitated, looking over at Moana. 

‘Make him immortal’ she said firmly, still not meeting his eye. 

‘Are you sure?’ he asked her in surprise, ‘That means no children-’ 

‘I’m sure’ she replied firmly, looking at him at last; ‘it’s what you want’.

He shook his head, ‘I want _you_ Mo- I don’t really care what form that takes’. 

‘You say that now’ she said, ‘and I know you really do mean it- but you would get bored as a mortal’ 

He shook his head vehemently, ‘I’d never be bored, as long as I’m with you’. 

‘But I won’t age, and I’d have to watch you grow old and die’ she continued, her voice wavering slightly, ‘And I don’t think my heart can take that’. 

He had to understand that. After all, he hadn’t been willing to do the same thing when their roles were reversed. 

‘What about children?’ he said and she smiled. 

‘I’m immortal’ she pointed out, ‘No need to produce heirs to an island if I’m never going to die’. 

‘You don’t want to be chief forever though’ he frowned, standing up and pacing with nervous energy ‘What about when you want to hand the title on?’ 

She waved a hand breezily, ‘We’ll think of something. It’s not for us to worry about now’. 

‘But I _am_ worried’ he said, ‘This is a one time offer- I don’t want you to say anything you might regret’. 

‘Maui’ she said seriously, ‘There is no telling what might happen- no matter what we decide, something might happen tomorrow that makes us regret it. What happens if you stay mortal and tomorrow your house burns down while you sleep? I’ll regret our decision for the rest of my life’. 

‘But-’ 

‘Would you really prefer to remain mortal?’ she asked, looking disbelieving. 

He turned to Hina, ‘Would you be able to make me immortal the same way Moana is?’ he asked, ‘So I would still bleed-’ 

‘You _want_ children’ Moana said suddenly, her eyes widening, ‘That’s why you want to stay mortal’. 

‘With you, yeah’ he said simply, resting his hand on the top of her head gently, ‘There’s nothing I want more than to have a family with you’. 

They turned to Hina expectantly, but she was looking at them sadly. 

‘Moana was blessed by Te Fiti herself- the rarest blessing of all- I’m afraid that kind of gift is beyond my power’. 

Maui thought for a moment and opened his mouth to speak again, but Hina cut him off. 

‘You must decide now, Maui’ she said, ‘I’m sorry but this is the only time you’ll get this chance’. 

He nodded, and with one final glance down at Moana he said, ‘Make me immortal’. 

Hina smiled as if she’d known that was the decision they would make all along. 

He expected dramatics and showmanship like the time she’d taken his immortality away to begin with, but instead, he found the sand was hot underneath his knees when he fell to them, his limbs suddenly far too heavy for his body. 

It was strange how much easier it was to go from mortal to immortal than it was to do the reverse. 

Becoming mortal had drained him physically- left him weak and unable to function for days. 

Becoming immortal felt like waking up from a really deep sleep. His limbs were lethargic and sore, but he felt well rested like he'd needed that nap for a really long time. 

By the time he blinked up towards where Hina had been sitting, she was gone. 

'Are you okay?' Moana asked, kneeling in front of him, 'This is what you wanted, right?' 

He reached out and cupped the back of her head, answering her with a deep kiss. 

'This is exactly what I want' he told her truthfully, 'I wanted children and a mortal life, but any life with you is better than none'. 

She was smiling, a small secretive smile that made him instantly suspicious. 

'You can have it all if you want it' she whispered, her lips a breath away from his, 'A family with me, forever'. 

He frowned, 'Mo- I can't give you children if I'm immortal-' 

'Hmmm' she agreed, pressing kisses against his cheek, 'But you could when you were mortal'. 

It took a moment for him to fully grasp what she was suggesting. 

'Princess are you-' 

She nodded, biting her lip to stop a grin spreading across her face. 

'I suspected' she admitted, 'but Hina confirmed it'. 

He was staring at her, open-mouthed, 'You're pregnant?' he whispered, his eyes dropping down to her still flat stomach. 

She nodded slowly, her eyes locked on his. 

Maui grinned so widely that he thought his face might split- and he gathered her up in his arms far more gently than he would have before, and started peppering her face with kisses. 

'I love you so much' he said, between kisses, before she eventually caught his face in her hands and kissed him properly. 

They pulled away, resting their foreheads together when Maui suddenly paled. 

'Mo we're not married'.

She frowned, 'Well, no'. 

'Your father is going to be so angry'. 

She snorted a laugh, 'Are you actually afraid of my father? You're an immortal demigod and you're afraid of my elderly father?' 

He blinked at her, 'Yes, what's your point?' 

'It's still early days' she assured him, patting him on the arm, 'We can get married quick and no one will ever have to know we did things the wrong way around'. 

By the time they got back to the village, it became clear that this was not the case. 

'I'm going to be a grandmother!' Sina practically yelled once they were in sight, 'Why didn't you tell me?!' she demanded of her daughter, and Maui tried to resist the urge to creep away. 

Moana was looking amazed, 'How do you know?' she said finally, 'I wasn't going to tell anyone yet'. 

'Someone came to leave you blessings' Sina explained, 'No one saw who it was, so we assume it must have been one of your _godly_ acquaintances'. 

She led them into Moana's house, and they immediately saw why it hadn't stayed a secret for very long. 

Flowers, baskets, food and charms were spilling across every surface. The totems were for luck in childbirth and child rearing, there were flowers for joy and celebration and the foods were all known to be good for pregnant women. 

In summary, it was Hina's least subtle gift yet. 

'Who are they from?' Sina asked behind them, as they admired their gifts. 

'Hina' Moana said, admiring a large orange plant, 'She came back today' 

Sina's eyes widened, looking between them comically, 'And?' she demanded, 'What decision did she make?' 

Moana didn't answer, so Maui turned to face his future mother in law. 

'She let us choose' he told her, 'She said it should be our decision'. 

'Maui is immortal again' Moana said with an affectionate smile at him, 'This child will be our only one'. 

'Oh' Sina was obviously fighting not to look disappointed, and Maui could practically see her daydreams of a whole brood of demigod grandchildren evaporating before her eyes. 

'Mom' Moana said, 'It's what we wanted'. 

'I know' Sina said, 'And I'm very happy for you both, but your father and I did so want a big family- we thought you might give us a couple of grandchildren to make up for the lack of siblings we gave you'. 

Moana shrugged, 'I never wanted siblings' she said honestly, 'On an island this small there were always plenty of children to be friends with, I didn't feel like I was missing anything'. 

'Of course not' Sina said, 'You're right, of course'. 

'And it's not like we're going anywhere' Moana said, 'You'll get to watch this baby grow up on this island just like I did'. 

Maui decided it really was time to make his escape then, because Sina was looking like she might burst into tears. 

He decided to seek out Tui, to officially ask the man for his permission to marry his daughter. 

It was a bit late for that, but it wouldn't hurt to be respectful. 

He was expecting anger from the village elder, or at least disappointment. He was not expecting a friendly hug and a 'come in, son' when he arrived on the doorstep. 

'Tui' Maui began cautiously, 'I know that I have not courted Moana in the most traditional way- and I know that it has been her choice, but I wanted to make sure you still felt respected-'.

Tui snorted, interrupting him, 'Everything that Moana does she does because it's what she feels is best- I am not so stubborn that I can't move on'. 

'I know that' Maui said placatingly, 'But I wanted to officially ask you for your blessing- I would like to make Moana my wife'. 

There was a long pause, 'From what I hear from _my_ wife' Tui began, his voice dripping with irony, 'It's a bit late to be asking me anything'. 

Maui shifted awkwardly, 'Perhaps- and I am sorry that we've done this so backwards, but I've gone at Moana's pace from the day I met her'. 

'She does sort of sweep people along in her current, doesn't she?' Tui said fondly. 

'I had been living in a cave for a thousand years when she found me, and now I'm here, so I would have to agree'. 

'You have my blessing' Tui said, after another moment of silence, 'And I hope I can consider you more than just a son in law- but a friend, also'. 

Maui was touched- he reached out to shake the man's hand respectfully, before saying his goodbyes and heading back to Moana's house, where her mother was listing all the traditional family names she thought Moana and Maui might want to use for their child. 

 

***

The wedding was, in a word, extravagant.

The drinking and dancing and feasting went on for days and days. For the rest of Maui’s long, long life, he would wonder how it all went by in such a blur. How the hands shaking his melded into one and nothing really mattered except the sound of Moana laughing as her Father made some joke or other during a toast one evening. 

The island had never seen such a beautiful celebration- Maui felt that it was partially because they had waited so long to see their Chief married, but also because every single person on the island considered Moana a friend, and wanted to make it special for her. It seemed like an apology almost, for all the time they’d spent not believing her story about adventures with certain demigods. 

Other than a few particularly gossipy elders, most people seemed to be overlooking the fact that she was pregnant. Sina was so thrilled to be a grandmother at all that no one really dared say anything about the baby being conceived out of wedlock. 

Her stomach grew steadily rounder and rounder and he sometimes had to pinch himself to remember that this was really his life now; that she really was going to give birth to their child any day. That they would be able to live together and watch their child, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren grow. 

After thousands of years on his own, it still didn't seem real that he would never have to be alone again. 

'What are you thinking about?' Moana asked, nudging him out of his reverie one morning as they watched the sunrise.

He smirked at her, 'How _awesome_ our baby is going to be'. She snorted a laugh and he continued; 'I mean, any spawn of yours was obviously going to be pretty awesome, but the combination of sheer awesomeness that will come from your genes and mine... Well, I'm wondering how long it'll be before it's shapeshifting in the crib'. 

She grimaced, 'Please don't joke about that. A mortal baby is scary enough, a potentially shape-shifting demigod one is terrifying'. 

They were quiet for a moment, 'What if it does get my powers?' he asked eventually, 'I could still shapeshift when I was mortal'. 

'I've wondered the same thing' she admitted quietly, 'My power over the ocean was a gift that I don’t think I can pass on, but he might get your abilities'. 

'He?' Maui asked in surprise, 'Do you know something I don't?'. 

'Just a feeling' she said with a quiet smile, ‘Mini Maui’. 

He shook his head, ‘We’ve already got one of those’ he said, gesturing to the tattoo which made a rude gesture back at him, ‘I like the idea of a Mini Moana’. 

‘Well’ she sighed, ‘I guess we won’t have to wait too long to find out’. 

***

Less than a week later, Moana’s instincts were proven to be faulty. 

Their baby girl came screaming into the world in the early hours of a spring morning, and Maui swore he’d never known love like it from the moment the squawking bundle was placed in his arms. 

The midwives insisted she was a big baby, but he was awed by how small she was in his arms. He could probably hold her in just one hand; although he wouldn’t dare test that. 

They named her Kaia, and they sighed a breath of relief when she didn’t immediately start shapeshifting.  
It wasn’t until she was three years old that they had any indication she might not be a totally mortal child as they expected. 

Maui watched the waves part around her one day, as she toddled forward and plucked a blue seashell from the ocean floor.

**Author's Note:**

> #245
> 
> Awaiâulu ke aloha
> 
> Love made fast by tying together
> 
> UPDATE: 
> 
> The awesome @zabchan drew fanart to go with this story! Check it out: http://zabchan.tumblr.com/post/173444765014/another-phone-sketch-inspired-by


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